The Demon's Quest
"The Demon's Quest" is a two-part episode of . Plot Part I receives a rather disturbing image of Robin.]] Robin returns home to Gotham University and sneaks into his room, only to find a group of people waiting for him. They hit him with a tranquilizer dart and he falls unconscious. The leader of the group, a man in a jackal mask, is pleased. Later, Batman returns to the Batcave and talks to Alfred about the fact that Robin has been missing for two days and his searches have been fruitless. Alfred gives Bruce a message that arrived for him. Looking at it, Bruce is shocked to find that the message, although addressed to Bruce, has a note inside referring to him as Batman. The note is attached to a picture of Robin, tied up. Just then, a mysterious man and his servant enter the Batcave, revealing that they know who he is. The man introduces himself as Ra's al Ghul, and his servant as Ubu. He tells Batman that Robin and his daughter, Talia were abducted on the same night, and proposes an alliance. As they talk, Ra's begins coughing explosively, but waves off Batman's offer of help, saying he is simply very old. Based on clues in the photograph, Batman deduces that the children may be in Calcutta. As they start to exit the cave, Batman starts to walk past Ra's, but Ubu shoves him back, calling him "Infidel!" Batman gets angry at this but does nothing, calling Ubu's reaction "Strike one". On Ra's plane, Ra's explains that he deduced Bruce's secret identity based on a worldwide survey of goods bought that could be used as Batman's equipment. After Talia saw him without his mask, her description was all that was necessary to confirm his identity. The trio make it to India and search for the mercenary cult supposedly responsible for the kidnappings. Ubu once again pushes Batman back so that Ra's may go first, to which Batman considers "strike two". The mercenaries attack and Batman easily defeats them. He interrogates one of the mercenaries and learns the children are now in Malaysia. fights against a wildcat.]] While driving through a rain forest in Malaysia, Ra's goes on at length and about humanity's destruction of the environment. Batman defends Wayne Enterprises' environmental activity, but Ra's says that force is required, not just money. They make it to a temple and Batman runs inside only to find that it's a trap. The door is closed and a panther is released into the room. Batman and the panther fight for a moment, but its abilities are no match for Batman's skills and ingenuity. He tricks it into his cape and throws in a knockout gas capsule. With the panther defeated, Ra's comes in and they find a map inside to a location in the Himalayas. Once again they head out, but this time Batman allows Ra's to go first. Over the Himalayas, Batman prepares to parachute down while Ra's and Ubu wait on the helicopter. Ra's starts coughing again and Ubu makes mention of how they "must get him to one of the pits". No sooner has Batman jumped than a missile is launched that zooms past him and destroys the helicopter. Batman lands and confronts a team of armed thugs, but defeats them with ease. is revived.]] At last Batman finds Robin but is attacked by a group of thugs. They are no match for him, and Robin is freed. Just then, the torches light and the jackal-masked man comes in, applauding. Batman unmasks him, revealing... Ra's al Ghul. Ra's asks how long Batman has been on to him. Batman replies, from the very beginning: there was no way Ra's could have known Robin and Talia were kidnapped at the same night. The thugs who attacked them always knew exactly where they were, and finally, the one time Ubu didn't care that Batman walked ahead of Ra's was when he entered the temple to confront the panther, something that couldn't be told not to attack Ra's. Declaring his interest at an end, Batman starts to leave with Robin. Ubu tries to force him to stay, but Batman overpowers him ("Strike three"). Ra's applauds again, and explains that the whole ruse was a test: he needs a man to succeed him as ruler of his vast empire, and Batman has now proven his worthiness—and because Talia loves him. Though temporarily surprised, Batman still refuses. Ra's advances on Batman, shouting that he will regret this, but is overcome by a coughing fit and collapses to the floor. Talia says that he must be taken to the Lazarus Pit—a source of mysterious chemicals that have kept alive for six hundred years. At her urging, Batman helps lower Ra's into the Pit, and it succeeds—too well. Ra's jumps out of the pit, with the speed and strength of a young man, but laughing maniacally. Talia tries to calm him, but he lifts her into the air and prepares to throw her into the Pit... Part II prepares to throw Talia into the Lazarus Pit.]] Ra's prepares to throw Talia into the Lazarus pit, but Ubu tells Batman that the chemicals will kill a healthy person. Batman uses a grapple to pull Ra's back and forces him to drop Talia. Talia then confronts her father and slaps him. He's instantly revived in mind. Ra's thanks her for his sanity and Batman for Talia's life. They explain that the pit will make someone insane and that it won't work forever. Ra's repeats his offer but Batman still refuses. Ra's decides that he'll have to kill Batman and activates a self-destruct sequence on the stronghold. Talia is upset but Ra's says they can just go to their desert stronghold. Batman and Robin are locked inside the room while it starts to crumble. Fortunately, they are able to grab onto the rope used to lower Ra's into the pit and climb it out to safety. After a daring escape involving jumping down a cliff and avoiding an avalanche, the duo sees Ra's leave. Robin claims that he's heard the word "Orpheus" several times. Looking it up at Wayne Enterprises, Bruce and Dick discover that it refers to a satellite that orbits a desert. dreams of the world restored to its former glory.]] Taking a plane to the desert, Batman infiltrates the stronghold by stealing the uniform of one of the thugs and joining a caravan. Once inside, he sneaks away but Ubu finds him and attacks. Batman is more than a match for his enemy but is soon attacked by a gang and captured. Ubu prepares to kill Batman, but Ra's shows up and orders Ubu to stop. Ra's is impressed and wants Batman alive to see what he's going to do. Ra's explains that he intends to detonate bombs in Lazarus pits around the world. This will cause them to overflow covering the world in chemicals, which will kill 2,056,986,000 and restore most of the world's ecosystems. Batman calls Ra's insane, which only makes him and Ubu angry. Batman is locked up and left guarded. Fortunately, Batman has a lock pick in his mouth and escapes. and Batman share a moment.]] Ra's activates the bomb countdown in spite of Talia's protests. Batman, however, has other plans and detonates a room full of armaments. The resulting explosions force Ra's people away while Batman attempts to shut off the countdown. Ubu attacks him but Batman easily defeats him. Ra's decides to take a personal stake in things and attacks Batman with a sword. Batman takes up a sword and the two fight. The fight rages towards the top of the pit but Batman throws his sword at the signal device stopping the countdown. Ra's attacks in rage but loses his balance and falls towards the pit himself. Batman tries to save him but Ra's refuses and drops into the pit. Batman and Talia leave the stronghold and they go their separate ways. Batman believes that Ra's is dead but Ra's emerges from the pit laughing maniacally. Continuity * When Ra's explains how he deduced Batman's secret identity, he references "Off Balance", where his daughter, Talia, saw Batman without his mask. Background information Home video releases * * Batman: The Complete Animated Series (DVD) Production notes * The episode is based on the comics stories "Daughter of the Demon" (Batman #232, June 1971) and "The Demon Lives Again" (Batman #244, September 1972) by Dennis O'Neil. Cast Quotes Category:A to Z Demon's Quest, The